Lakeside
by HeartOfChaos
Summary: Ginny and Harry have a heart-to-heart under the tree by the lake on the Hogwarts grounds after the Battle of Hogwarts,and goes from there.As Harry and Ginny talk,she's reminded why she likes the green-eyed git that left her to save the world so much.
1. Chapter 1

_So I felt like I needed to add my own spin on Harry and Ginny's reunion after the Battle of Hogwarts._

_I own nothing._

_Enjoy. As always, reviews are appreciated._

Ginny wandered aimlessly around the grounds of war-torn Hogwarts six hours after the battle's completion, silently taking in every detail. Half the castle was a pile of rubble, and there were still traces of blood on the grass. Hagrid's hut was no more, the edge of the forest facing the castle demolished from the footsteps of giants.

She told her mother that she had needed fresh air when in reality she had to get away from all of the pitiful stares of those around her. She had been very close to Fred and had trusted him with many personal secrets. She missed her brother so much already. The funeral was going to be a mess…

Andromeda Tonks had arrived an hour or so ago, wondering where her daughter and son-in-law were only to have the news fall on her like an anvil. Molly was sorting her out when Ginny announced she was going outside for fresh air and did _not_ want any company. She had to make sure she emphasized this point because her five remaining brothers had stood as one to follow her, each muttering some flimsy excuse along the lines of "you need protection." Ginny didn't need protection; she could handle herself. Last night, when she and Hermione had dueled Bellatrix, not one of Bellatrix's spells had touched her, though there had been that close call with the Killing Curse. But even if her mother hadn't stepped in and taken Bellatrix out, Ginny would've managed not to get killed.

Ginny sat under the oak tree by the lake and stared out across it toward the mountains. It was a beautiful day; cloudless sky, moderately warm, a gentle breeze, a far-off meadow of brightly colored wildflowers barely noticeable but noticeable enough to add a splash of color…it seemed Mother Nature was celebrating the death of You-Know…_Voldemort_, Ginny corrected herself mentally. Now that Voldemort was gone, there was no need to fear saying the name anymore.

An image of Harry, tired and dirty but with a look of pure determination on his face as he finally faced off Voldemort popped up in Ginny's mind's eye, quickly followed by the memory of his limp body lying in Hagrid's arms. Ginny shuddered; never had she let out a more blood-curdling scream of protestation, denial, in her lifetime than when she screamed his name. he could _not_ have been dead…he was Harry Potter! The Boy Who Lived! The Chosen One!

But he wasn't dead, and Ginny was very thankful for that.

She heard a twig snap behind her and, out of habit, pulled out her wand and spun around.

"_Stupefy!"_

"Oi! That almost hit me!"

"Harry!"

Harry Potter stood there, half behind a tree in case he needed to duck another spell, looking at her with wide eyes. He was dirty, pale, covered in blood. He had a wild look about his eyes, like an insomniac who hadn't slept for days, but the rest of the body clearly said in brightly colored, flashing signs "exhausted."

"Sorry, I should've said something. I didn't mean to startle you."

"Why are you out here?" Ginny asked, stuffing her wand back in her cloak with an irritated air, "I thought I told my family I didn't want or need company."

"Well…yeah…Ron mentioned that…" Harry said sheepishly, "but…y'know…I was…worried about you and…I kind of wanted to talk to you anyway…or see if maybe you wanted to talk to me…" Harry was looking down at the ground, suddenly very interested in the activities of a particular ant taking back a little piece of grass back to the colony.

"I'm fine," Ginny said in an attempt to be firm. She hoped he hadn't heard her choke a bit on the last word.

Harry looked up at her and, judging by the look in his eyes, he had.

"Ginny please…talk to me. Tell me what's going through your head."

"Why? It's not like you care or anything—" but before Ginny could say another word, Harry had, in one big step, planted himself in front of her and grabbed her shoulders firmly.

"Don't you dare," he said. "How…I can't even process this. How in the name of Merlin's pants did you _ever_ get the _ludicrous_ idea of me not caring? Yes, I broke it off at Dumbledore's funeral, but I was only trying to _protect _you. I still didn't completely understand my special connection with Voldemort's and my mind, and I didn't want him using you the same way he used Sirius. Look what happened to him, Ginny! It tore me apart when he died, _how do you think I would've felt if it had happened to you?_" Harry was panting, his eyes practically glowing with a white hot intensity Ginny had never been on the receiving end of.

"But…when I kissed you on your birthday…you avoided me after that…I thought…"

"Well whatever you thought, it was _wrong_! I had missed you…so much…being with you sixth year, it was…almost too good to be true. A dream. When you kissed me, I was…so close, so close to asking you to take me back, and then your brother—"

"Bastard."

Harry barked out a laugh. "Yeah, that's what I thought at the time, opened my eyes to how badly I had hurt you and how I was getting your hopes up. Ginny I thought this…quest—stop laughing it's the best word I can come up with at the moment—was going to kill me. Why rob you of happiness, innocence?"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?"

"Ginny, if I had kept up or rekindled our relationship then, and then ended up dead, would you have moved on?"

"No, I—"  
"And that's why I avoided you. along with being a bit scared that your brothers would destroy me if I broke your heart again, but that was only a very small factor."

He paused, still breathing heavily, his face losing more color. Ginny looked into his eyes, the well-known windows to the soul. She saw torture, longing, pain…so many emotions whirling in those green eyes she loved so much.

"I thought of you," he said, "as I went into the forest."

"Why did you go in there?"

"Do you know what a Horcrux is, Ginny?"

"Yes. We were forced to learn about them in our Dark Arts class. Why?"

"Voldemort made six—"

"Merlin's bloomers!"

"And he accidentally made a seventh."

"How exactly do you 'accidentally' make a Horcrux?"

"The night he killed my parents…the night he tried to kill me, the curse backfired on him, causing a small bit of his unstable soul to break off and seal itself to the only living thing in the vicinity…me. That's why I had that connection to him, why I could speak Parseltongue; a small bit of him was inside me. If there was any chance that Voldemort could be destroyed forever, it was if I went willingly to him and let him kill me. It's a long, complicated story after that—I'll explain later, we have so much time now! All the time in the world, really! But he hit me with the Killing Curse, and my last thought before I blacked out was you. Protecting you. If you had a chance at life because I sacrificed myself for you, it was worth it. So worth it. I'll explain the finer details later but…Ginny…I love you so much…and I know this isn't the greatest time to bring it up, considering…I have no tact or common sense, but I just wanted you to know that I love you, and I'd do anything for you, and I'm _so_ sorry for all the grief I've caused you and if…maybe someday in the near future…you might consider taking me back, or something…" Harry trailed off, finally at a loss for anymore words.

"Harry…oh Harry!" and she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, trying to hold back the barrage of tears fighting against her eyelids for freedom. He hugged her just as tightly. He buried his face in her auburn hair and inhaled; _Merlin_, he'd forgotten how amazing she smelled. He kissed the top of her head and wished that time would just stop right here; he never wanted to let this woman out of his sight again. It seemed, however, that Harry would not get his wish. Ginny pulled away from him, a puzzled expression on her face.

"Harry why are you wet?" she asked. Before he could answer she peeled his cloak (almost literally, she noted with a hint of disgust) and threw it on the ground. She gasped; a great gash across his chest shaped like a large bolt of lightning was oozing blood, soaking his tattered shirt.

"Oh," Harry stated simply, following here eyes, "that explains why I've been really sore right there for quite some time. I guess that happened in the forest."

"Harry lie down! I need to heal this a bit…stop the bleeding…"

"Ginny, it's from Dark Magic; I'm pretty sure it has to heal on its own."

"If we let that happen you'd bleed to death! After all that work just to bleed to death from a flesh wound?! I think not! Now hold still!"

"It's fine really, I can barely feel it."

"Because you're not in your right mind! Wait, what am I saying? I'm talking to Harry Potter…you were never in you're right mind! Going after Voldemort's Horcruxes, calmly walking right into his clutches to be slaughtered…you're out of your mind!"

Harry sat still, seeing no point in arguing with her. He leaned up against the tree for support as she muttered spells, trying to heal the gash in his chest that, he knew, would become a scar to match the one on his forehead.

"There. I think that's as good as it's going to get. At least the bleeding's stopped."

"Yeah…"

Ginny looked up at Harry. The exhaustion was catching up to him and he was fading fast.

"Harry?"

"Gin?"

"Rest. I'll be here when you wake up. I promise."

"Someone's got to protect you, Ginny, in case…Death Eaters…"

"I think you need the protection more than I do, Mr. Hero. Besides…someone needs to protect you for once."

Harry chuckled. "If you say so. I love you, Ginny."

"I love you Harry."

_I'll write more if you ask me to. Otherwise…_

_The End (or is it?)_


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay then, chapter two. You asked for it, and your wish is my command. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter; I hope this one lives up to your expectations. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to reply to all of them individually._

_I own nothing._

_Reviews are, as always, greatly appreciated._

"Ginny? Ginny? You alright? I swear if some effing Death Eater took you after all this mess…"

"I'm over here, Ronald."

"Where?"

"Right in front of your face, you pillock."

Ron, still tired and dirty from the battle, blinked and saw the tree by the lake, under which his sister and someone else were sitting. As he came closer he recognized the other person; his pace changed from a brisk walk to a sprint.

"Bloody hell Ginny what happened?!"

"Take a look at his chest."

"Did you do this?"

"Yes, Ronald. I cursed your best friend and my boyfriend and gave him a gash the shape of a bolt of lightning similar to the one that Lord Voldemort gave him on his forehead. _Who do you think gave it to him you git?_"

Ron met his sister's eyes with a glare. "I didn't notice it earlier, thank you very much. I figured…well I knew you weren't too happy with him, since what happened last year…"

"I'd _never_ do something like this to Harry. And…I'm not mad at him…I never was, really. We talked some things out," Ginny said, turning a light shade of pink. Ron's ears turned pink.

"And what sort of things did you talk about?" he asked suspiciously.

"I know what you three were doing now. Horcrux hunting…I'm glad I didn't come along after all."

"Blimey, he told you that?" Ron asked, taken aback. "He...blimey! What else did he tell you?"

Ginny filled Ron in quickly on what else the two had discussed. When she had finished, Ron looked at her in thought.

"So…you two are getting back together then?" he asked.

"Ron…I honestly don't think we ever broke up, really."

Ron nodded absently.

"I'll kill him if he hurts you again."

Ginny smiled. "He won't."

"Speaking of him," Ron said, glancing at his friend, "did you knock him out or did he pass out? Harry's not the kind of person to be found sleeping out in the open without any protective spells or something."

Ginny's grin grew wider. "I told him to rest. I told him that it was his turn to be protected, at least by me. Do you honestly think any Death Eater would get to him through me?"

Ron chuckled. "Very true."

The two Weasleys were silent for a moment when Ron said, in an uncharacteristically soft voice, "Ginny I'm so glad you're alright."

Ginny looked into her big brother's eyes. "I'm glad you're okay too, Ron. I don't know what I'd do if it had been more than…can you imagine what Mum went through? Losing all the family you grew up with in the blink of an eye? I don't think I could've handled that…"

Ron inched closer to his sister and drew her in a hug. "She had us," he said simply, "and I think the fact that she had seven little kids running around helped her. And we've all got each other. Let's face it; this could've turned out a lot worse for us than it did. Instead of losing…we could've lost Dad, Mum, Bill, Charlie…each other…we're lucky, Ginny. And I don't think Fred wants us to dwell on the fact that he's gone; he'd want us to keep going…live life to the fullest."

Ginny nodded into his chest and the dam broke; she sobbed uncontrollably. For Fred, for Remus, for Tonks, for Sirius, for all the others lost in the war, and for the pain of the living…George, who, she imagined, felt like his soul had been torn in two…Percy, who had just rejoined the family he had always loved, only to lose a brother that he had always fought with but loved all the same…her parents, who she knew each was wishing they could've gone to the other side of the veil in their son's place rather than bury him…little Teddy Lupin, who would never know his real parents, just like his godfather had never known his parents…and lastly the godfather himself, Harry, who had lost so many people to Voldemort, who had experienced so much pain, who had been forced to grow up fast the moment he entered this world almost eight years ago…Ginny cried for everyone who had suffered because of Voldemort and his regime.

After a while the flow of Ginny's tears slowed down. She felt like a great weight had been lifted off of her. She looked up at Ron, who was smiling softly at his little, yet very grown up, sister.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yes. Much. Thanks, Ron."

"Don't mention it."

Ron gently pulled away from his sister to attend to his friend.

"_Wingardium Leviosa!"_

Harry's sleeping form rose up in the air.

"Heavy sleeper, isn't he?" Ginny said. Ron smiled.

"Not usually. But I think he's making up for the last three or four years of not sleeping well. We should get back to the castle, it's almost five. Mum's probably having kittens over us and getting ready to send the rest of the family out here after us."

"Which reminds me…Ron why did you come out here?" Ginny asked.

"Mum sent me out here to check on you, make sure nothing had happened. She knew you wouldn't hex me because I'm your favorite."

"Bah! In what universe are you my favorite?"

"In Mum's alternate reality."

The two made their way back to the castle, Harry floating along above the ground in front of them as they walked.

"Be careful not to drop him Ron!"

"He's my best mate, Ginny, I'm not going to drop him."

"You might, since he's dating your little sister. You might drop him just to piss me off."

"Nah. If I wanted to piss you off, I wouldn't use Harry. Well, not directly, anyway."

"What on earth do you mean?"

"_His eyes are as green as a fresh-pickled toad—"_

"Oh shut up!"

_Let me know if you want more. _


	3. Chapter 3

_You asked for it, and your wish is my command._

_I don't own Harry Potter_

_Reviews are greatly appreciated._

Harry awoke much later to find himself in a bed in a room covered in Chudley Cannons memorabilia. Realizing where he was, Harry wondered how he got there.

And then it hit him. _The battle…Remus, Tonks, Fred…_

Harry sprung from the bed, wand in hand, ignoring the physical pain in his chest whilst being overwhelmed by the immense emotional pain, out of the room and into the bathroom. He bolted the door and flicked his wand at the door to prevent any inconvenient Unlocking charms from bothering him before he started vomiting violently in the toilet. It did not take very long for his retching to rouse the rest of the Weasley household in alarm.

"What's going on?"

"Who's sick?"

"Don't look at me, Mum; all the Puking Pastilles were removed from the house when we…when we moved out."

"Bloody hell, it's only six!"

"Where's Harry?" Ron's voice rang out through Harry's haze.

There was silence (other than the sound of someone being violently sick, but that almost went without saying) before Harry vaguely heard the sounds of numerous pairs of feet thundering towards the bathroom. Someone banged on the door.

"Harry! Harry! Open up! Are you alright in there?"

Harry did not, could not, answer. He sobbed as he vomited, the tragedy of the recent events consuming him. He had been in shock that day; that was his only logical excuse for not breaking down until now.

"Harry dear please let us in!" Molly's voice pleaded. Harry vaguely registered her voice was laced with tears. She, who had lost one of her sons because of him, worried for him?

"_Alohamora! _Damn, he's jinxed it!"

"So…are we breaking the door down then?"

"Just like we broke down his damn uncle's brick blockade of the fireplace."

"That'll be fun."

"Alright, on the count of three, Charlie, George, then?" One…two…THREE!"

The door shuddered but held firm. There was silence from inside the bathroom. Harry leaned away from the toilet against the opposite wall, pale, shaking, with silent tears still cascading from his eyes.

"This is ridiculous! Ron, Charlie, George, move!"

"Percy, what're you—"

"_Reducto!_"

The door was blasted to bits. Molly was the first one in the room, followed quickly by Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and the rest of the Weasley brothers.

"Oh Harry dear!"

"Move over Mum."

"Ron, I hardly think—"

"Just move, Mum. Just for a minute. Actually," Ron said, turning toward everyone, "if all of you except Hermione could clear out for a moment…just a moment Mum, I swear." Molly Weasley looked into the face of her youngest son. He looked just like his father when he took charge of a situation; something that Molly had never seen her little Ronnie do…

She stepped back into the hall, shooing everyone else back for a moment. Her maternal instincts would have to wait until Hermione and Ron had talked to Harry. She understood; she just didn't like it one bit.

Ron knelt down in front of Harry. "Mate, you're alright…we all are…relax, it's over…"

"Fred…Tonks…Remus…" Harry whispered hoarsely.

Hermione knelt down next to Harry. "Harry…they…they knew what they were getting themselves into. They knew there was a chance…like we all knew…that we may or may not survive this mess…we're lucky that so many people lived through this…I was expecting…" she trailed off, feeling no need to finish her thought; her boys knew what she had been about to say.

"Shit happens," Ron said quietly. Harry looked up at him. Ron cleared his throat, ridding himself of the rapidly forming lump there, and continued. "Shit happens, Harry. But we've just got to keep moving forward. Things won't get back to normal overnight—well, as normal as things can get when magic is involved, anyway. It'll take time. Baby steps, y'know?"

Harry looked up at Ron and then looked at Hermione, who was smiling and nodding at Ron. Harry slowly nodded. Nothing more needed to be said.

"Now let's get you, O Chosen One, back to bed. You look like you could use another day of sleep; you look like hell."

Without another word, Ron looped Harry's left arm around his shoulders and stood, taking most of Harry's weight onto his much more stable legs.

"Oi, you lot!" Ron said to his family, "One of you wanna get on the other side here?" George stepped forward and supported Harry's other side. He and Ron half supported, half carried Harry back to Ron's old room. Molly, Hermione, and Ginny were right behind them, arguing about what to do first; let Harry sleep or, as Molly wanted, to shove some food down his throat. "Hermione have you been feeding him at all? He's so…_skeletal._"

_I know, a much shorter chapter than normal, but I had to throw this in. Not my best writing but…what can you do? I promise the next one will be much longer and will be up in the next day or two._


	4. Chapter 4

_I don't own Harry Potter._

_Reviews are greatly appreciated._

_Enjoy._

The months following the Battle of Hogwarts flew by. Before they all knew it, it was time for the memorial service on the Hogwarts grounds, commemorating the one year anniversary of that day.

It had been short and sweet. Kingsley didn't like to beat around the bush or drone on and on or recite speeches with so much verbal ornamentation it was sickening. No, Kingsley had kept his speech short and genuine. The ceremony had only lasted for thirty minutes. When it was over Harry and Hermione had followed the Weasleys toward the graves of the fallen to pay their respects.

Harry felt like he was intruding on something sacred, so when he saw Arthur approach the grave of his son first, Harry excused himself to go to the graves of two other fallen friends.

Andromeda was holding her one-year-old Teddy Lupin tightly as she stood in front of her daughter and son-in-laws' graves. Teddy was silent and still, looking down at the headstones in curiosity but somehow knew that Gran needed him to be close right now.

When little Teddy saw Harry approaching them, he could not help but squirm a bit and babble incoherently while pointing and smiling. Andromeda turned around to see what had caught his attention when her eyes met Harry's. She smiled and handed Teddy to him.

"He's been asking about you all day," she said softly. Her voice broke a little at the end. Harry smiled at the child of his father's best friend. He looked back up at Andromeda.

"How are you?" he asked. Teddy looked confused; Harry always smiled and talked and played with him. Why was today any different?

"Oh, I'm holding up fairly well, I suppose. As well as can be expected," Andromeda said, her voice gaining a little bit of strength. Harry nodded. He glanced over at the spot where Fred's grave was and saw that Molly had approached the grave now. He turned back quickly, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to watch her talk to the grave.

Andromeda had followed his gaze and smiled sadly. "Sometimes I forget I was not the only one who lost a child to this," she said, "which is rather silly, considering this happened on the grounds of a school. Harry would you mind keeping an eye on Teddy? I'm going to go over to that family over there." She pointed to a small cluster of people hovering in front a grave at the end of the row. Harry knew that grave well; he would be visiting that one today too.

"That's Colin Creevey's family. He was a year younger than me."

"Oh the Muggle-born boy. His poor parents…well I must go see if they need someone to talk to…to ask…why this happened. Well either way…" and Andromeda was gone. Harry glanced down at Teddy. Teddy looked up at Harry with confusion evident on his face.

Harry answered the invisible question. "I'll explain when you're older. Now let's go to Aunt Molly, eh? I bet she could do with holding a little one right now."

Harry couldn't have been more right. As he approached with a squirming Teddy in his arms, Molly, who had been hugging her husband tightly and sobbing hysterically, composed herself a little and took the toddler in her arms.

"Look at how big you're getting," she cooed, "and how handsome. Oh you're just going to have to beat those girls off with a stick when you get to Hogwarts."

Harry approached Hermione, Ron, and Ginny cautiously. Ron was sobbing quietly in Hermione's hair, hugging her close. Ginny ran up to Harry and squeezed him tight, sobbing into his chest. Harry stroked her hair and rubbed small, comforting circles in her back, letting a few silent tears trail down from his cheeks.

When it was Ginny's turn to talk to the grave, she, like Ron had done with Hermione and Bill had done with Fleur, took Harry with her for moral support.

As Ginny told Fred how much she missed him, Molly came up to Harry and plopped Teddy in his arms. "He missed you and was worried about you," she whispered before walking away to join the rest of her family. Teddy snuggled into Harry.

"Hawwy."

Harry looked down sharply at Teddy. Did he just say what Harry thought he said?

"Teddy?"

"Hawwy. Hawwy hawwy hawwy," Teddy babbled. Ginny heard and looked over. Harry met her eyes.

"He just said my name. He's never done that before."

Ginny smiled and turned back to Fred to finish her sentence.

"…all in all, Fred, I think we'll all be okay eventually. We miss you. We love you."

Ginny turned and took a step away from Fred toward Harry and Teddy. The three of them walked over to the rest of the family, wondering what the cause of the growing chaos was. It wasn't until they got closer that they realized Fleur was in labor and Bill had fainted.

_I promise the next chapter will be longer and better. Pinky swear. This idea came to me last night, along with the idea for the next chapter. Sorry this isn't as well-written as I'd like it to be. Next chapter will be up sometime in the near future._


	5. Chapter 5

_I don't own Harry Potter._

_Reviews are greatly appreciated._

_Enjoy._

Ginny was sound asleep in her and Harry's bed. It had been quite a long night last night, what with George's Halloween party lasting until the wee hours of the morning. It had been rather fun. Ron had won the costume contest for "creativity and not getting kicked in the balls," as George had put it, because Ron had gone as…Harry. Hermione had grabbed a bit of Harry's hair when the newly-made Auror wasn't looking, brewed up a quick batch of Polyjuice Potion, and you can imagine where it went from there. Harry had laughed it off, seeing the humor of it all.

But it was over now, and Ginny was looking forward to a nice Halloween party she was hosting for the Holyhead Harpies this evening. Saying she ever got out of bed.

Ginny opened her eyes slowly, groaning a little bit. She knew she'd slept in pretty late; the sunshine pouring through the curtains in the window was bright and warm. She turned over toward Harry's side of the bed for their morning ritual of cuddling when she saw there was nothing there but his pillow and a pile of messed up blankets. She sat up and stared at the spot, thinking. Harry always woke her up before he left for work, no matter how late they'd been up the night before. And she would've remembered him waking her up too. And now that Ginny thought of it, Harry had requested the day off, and the request had been granted.

She got out of bed and went downstairs toward the fireplace; something didn't feel right. She threw a pinch of Floo powder in the fireplace, stuck her head in, shouted "487 Diagon Alley, Apartment 45C!"

She opened her eyes to see the sitting room of Ron and Hermione's flat. Ron was snoring on the couch and Hermione was bustling about the kitchen.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley!" Ginny shouted.

Ron gave a start and fell off the couch with a great thump. Hermione came running from the kitchen, wand out. Ron looked around sleepily and then looked up at Hermione.

"Where's Mum? I could've sworn I just—"

"Ron it's me! Ginny! Look in the fireplace you dolt!"

Ron and Hermione looked and seemed somewhat relieved that Molly wasn't over at their house. Their relief was short lived when they saw the expression on Ginny's face.

"Ginny what's wrong? Are you alright? Is Harry hurt?" Hermione asked.

"I'm fine. But I hoped you could answer my questions about Harry," Ginny replied.

Ron looked questioningly at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean he's not here. He asked for the day off. Do you two know where he is?"

Ron chuckled. "He's your fiancée Gin. Not ours. We're not his keepers."

"True, but you've been his best friends for ten years. Now where is he?"

"We don't know, Gin. Sorry," Ron added. Hermione was looking thoughtful.

"Hermione?" Ginny said, seeing the expression on her friend's face and knowing that an answer usually followed it. Ron looked up at her with a puzzled expression.

"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed. "It fits, doesn't it?"

"What fits?" Ron asked.

"Never mind, you'll see in a moment. Ginny get dressed and come over here quickly! I know where Harry is!"

"Where is he?"

"Don't worry, he's not hurt. Just hurry, I'll explain."

Ginny pulled her head out, Transfigured her clothes into something presentable, waved her wand at her hair to straighten it out and Flooed into Ron and Hermione's flat.

Ron and Hermione were standing there, both dressed, waiting for her. Hermione grabbed Ginny and Ron and before Ginny could say another word, they had Apparated to a little village far away from London.

"Hermione where are we?" Ginny asked. Ron was asking the same question with his eyes.

"We're just outside Godric's Hollow," Hermione said breathlessly. Ron and Ginny both looked at her with equally puzzled expressions.

"Hermione…explain please," Ron said.

"When did Harry's parents die?" Hermione asked them.

"October 31st, 1981," Ginny answered quickly. She'd memorized the date for future reference.

"And what's today's date?" Hermione asked. Ginny's eyes widened.

"October 31st, 2001," she said quietly. Ron was lost.

"What's that got to do with—"

"Ron, are you really that thick? Harry's parents died _twenty years ago __**today**_!" Hermione said irritably. Ron's face donned a look of immediate understanding.

"Well then what are we waiting for Hermione? Lead the way! You've been here more than I have; you surely know where you're going."

The two Weasleys followed Hermione into the village. Children and parents were bustling about the town, preparing for tonight's festivities. Hermione thought Harry would go to the ruins of the house first; he would save the graves of his parents for last.

They walked by the war memorial. As Ginny watched it change into a statue of two adults and a baby, tears started to sting at her eyes as she stopped to look. Ron stopped with her and looked too. Hermione had walked a bit away before she realized there was no one following her. When she turned around and saw what they were looking at, she walked back to stand next to them.

"I've never seen them before," Ginny said quietly. "I've never seen pictures of them before. He really does look an awful lot like his father, doesn't he?"

"And you look an awful lot like his mum," Ron added. Ginny looked upon the stone face of Lily Potter. She had sacrificed her life so Harry could live. If it had not been for Lily…Ginny shuddered at the thought of a world without Harry.

Hermione took a deep breath. "Come on, let's go check the house," she said.

Ginny tore her eyes away from the statue and looked at Hermione. "You mean—"

"Yes," Hermione replied. She walked away, quickly followed by Ron and Ginny, the latter throwing back one last glance at the statue before following the other two.

They walked up the street toward, what Ginny assumed the ruins of the Potter's house. They could do nothing but stare at the wreckage when they came to the house. Tears sprang to Ginny's eyes again.

"We know you're here Harry. You can take off the Cloak," Hermione said. Harry suddenly appeared in front of them, his back to them. The Invisibility Cloak was rumpled up in his hand. He didn't turn around to look at them. Ron turned to the girls.

"I'll go talk to him. Why don't you two give us a bit of space for a moment?"

Hermione and Ginny nodded in unison and walked back down the street. As they walked, Ginny asked, "Hermione will you take me to their graves?"

Hermione stopped and studied Ginny's face for a few fleeting moments before nodding. They made their way to the cemetery, passed the kissing gate, and made their way towards the marble headstone. Hermione didn't even have to point it out to Ginny or be asked by Ginny to leave her alone; Hermione was smart in more ways than one. She took a few steps back as Ginny stepped forward.

She stared at the headstone for what felt like an eternity before she spoke.

"Harry is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love him, and miraculously enough, he loves me. He gets that from you. Considering what kind of family life he had before I met him, he shouldn't be as wonderful as he is. I can't imagine growing up in a household so devoid of love. But he is far from uncaring, and that comes from you. Even though you didn't get to spend much time with him, enough of your personalities rubbed off on him to make him the wonderful man he is…the wonderful man I love. Thank you so much for all you've for him. I don't know what my life would be like if there was no Harry Potter in it. Thank you. Both of you. I only wish I could've met you under different circumstances…ones where you were talking back to me and letting me know you approve."

"I think they do."

Ginny started and turned around. Harry was standing behind her, Ron and Hermione standing behind him. His green eyes were shimmering as they stared at her.

"I think they do, Ginny," Harry repeated quietly, smiling. He stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. "I think that whatever makes me happy makes them happy."

Ginny smiled and kissed him back. "Harry I love you."

"I love you too, Ginny."

They stood in front of Lily and James's graves for a moment when Ginny spoke again.

"I want to come with you the next time you come visit your parents," she said. Harry nodded. "Okay."

"So that means if you leave the house without waking me up, I will kill you. I was worried for a good ten minutes."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm serious! I thought you'd run off on some noble quest again or something."

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I promise."

"It better not. For your sake, Mr. Potter."

"If I've learned anything from the last few years, it's that I will never leave your side again. You're stuck with me, Miss Weasley."

"I can't wait until I'm not 'Miss Weasley' anymore."

"Neither can I."

* * *

While the lovebirds were standing in the cemetery, two parents were watching from beyond the veil.

"She's so sweet. I'm glad she's finally marrying Harry," Lily said. James looked at his soon-to-be daughter-in-law.

"She looks like you. when they get married, they're going to look like us."

"Something wrong with that dear?"

"No. I shouldn't be surprised; he is a Potter, after all."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

James smiled cheekily at his wife. "We Potter men have a thing for fiery redheads."


	6. Author's Note Please Read

_Just a quick note from me; this story is finished, but there will be a sequel (eventually). If you are interested, put me on Author Alert. I'll make sure I put flashing neon signs in the story's summary that lets you know it's the sequel._

_Thank you for all your fantastic reviews!_

_~HeartOfChaos_


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